If Everything Had Changed
by Cutebutdeadlyalchemist
Summary: When bestowed with the curse mark, Anko decides to follow Orochimaru, leading her to a life as an enemy of Konoha.
1. Chapter 1

**~~~Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor do I own the characters of Naruto. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto. ~~~**

**~~~"Nothing we can do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future." — Ashleigh Brilliant ~~~**

The pain that coursed through her body was unimaginable, reaching places that had been untouched by pain until now. The pain slithered through her veins like a snake, biting her in every place it could. Waves of pains hit her, causing her to cry out in pain at regular intervals. Her heart raced in her chest, and she felt as though it would burst through her abdomen at any moment.

Through this pain, the only thing keeping her from giving up was the look of pride on her sensei's face. She had never seen that look in his eyes. The most important person in her life was looking down at her with a tender look in his eyes as though it actually hurt him to see her in so much pain. So she gritted her teeth and took the pain as it came.

"What's happening to me?" Anko managed to gasp, staring up at her sensei. She pleaded with her eyes for help, and Orochimaru just stared down at her light brown eyes. With that look, she knew there was nothing he could do to ease the pain.

Only death would bring the end to the pain, but Anko could not let herself take the easy way out. She couldn't bear to leave him.

"I'm sorry, my dear. Please take it as a compliment," Orochimaru said soothingly. "I have given you some of my power, some of myself. It will make you stronger."

Anko stared at him in disbelief, cringing as another wave of pain hit her. She rubbed where his fanged teeth had bitten her pale, soft neck. She had felt him waver as his teeth had sunk into her flesh and reveled in that soft moment before the pain had hit her. They were so close in that singular moment.

Orochimaru kneeled down so that he could look into her eyes without difficulty, tilting her head up to look into his eyes. He cradled her head in his hands as he looked into her eyes, strained with pain.

"I need someone like you, my dear. You are someone I can trust. I want you to come with me," he said in a soft voice, as if talking to someone he really did care about. Anko felt her heart skip a beat and not from the pain she was currently enduring.

He waited a brief moment for her answer, staring at her as her eyes focused and unfocused due to pain. She saw the blackness play at the corner of her eyes, and she knew that she would not be conscious for much longer.

"Well, Anko?" Orochimaru asked, growing a little impatient.

Anko braced herself as another wave of pain hit. She gritted her teeth, muttering through them a single, "yes," before collapsing on the ground. She did not even feel her face hit the cool concrete floor.

* * *

**~~~AN~~~**

**Future chapters will be longer. First chapter is short. I apologize.**

**I have had this in the works for a while now but have not been motivated. Thanks to NinjaSheik for inspiring me to finish this. **

**I'll be brief: this story will follow the alternate future of Konoha, Orochimaru and Anko if she had not said no to Orochimaru when he bestowed the curse mark upon her. This is not intended to be a very long fic (as of now it is six chapters) but I appreciate all the support of you readers who read and review. Arigato gozaimasu.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its many characters.**

* * *

"Nothing we can do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future." — Ashleigh Brilliant

When Anko awoke, she found herself under soft white linen, presumably on a bed. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the soft light that bathed the room. She attempted to sit up in bed, finding that her shoulder and neck ached with pain. She rubbed it gently, attempting to find the bite marks her sensei had given her. When her delicate fingers failed to find the bite marks she was surprised. How long had she been asleep?

The room was empty aside from her bed and a lamp, which was the only source of light. There was a small table next to her that held a single glass of water. She grabbed it greedily, emptying its contents into her mouth and swallowing gratefully, enjoying how the liquid cooled her throat.

She noticed that she was dressed in a soft, silk black robe and admired how nice it felt against her skin. Then, she realized that it was different than what she was wearing before she lost consciousness and was embarrassed to think that her sensei had changed her. Anko could feel herself blush as she thought about it.

Anko decided to test her feet, swinging them over the bed in one slow motion. She cringed at the slight pain she still felt as well as the tiredness that still plagued her body. She had slept for so long there was no reason for her fatigue.

She placed her bare feet on the cool floor, placing a little weight on them as a test before bracing herself and standing upright. She stumbled slightly as she made her way toward the door and nearly tripped as she walked.

Anko grabbed the doorknob, twisting it and finding it unlocked. She slowly opened it, finding a long corridor lit by lamps along the way. She made her way down the hall, steadying her fatigued body with the wall, feeling its cool surface under her touch.

She felt weak, tired, and hungry. She knew she must look like hell, and she did not particularly care. All she cared about was finding someone to ensure her that she was not alone.

There was one door at the end of the hall, and she hobbled towards it, grateful for at least one exit out of this strange place. She turned the doorknob quickly, bursting through the door and into another room. She did not know what was in this room, but anything was better than being cooped up in a room alone with nothing but the sounds of your thoughts to comfort you.

And this room was definitely better for Anko.

"Oh, you are awake, my dear," Orochimaru said, turning from his desk at the far edge of the room to look at her. She was so grateful to see him that she had to restrain herself from running to him. She felt like a little girl, just like the genin that she really was.

She finally composed herself, walking towards her Sensei at a much slower pace than she wanted to. "How long have I been asleep?" she finally asked.

"A few days, perhaps. It's easy to lose track of time here," Orochimaru answered her.

Anko was shocked. "A few days?" she asked herself in a whisper. She had been asleep in this strange place for days.

Orochimaru stood, placing his hand on her small shoulder. He massaged it gently, looking into her eyes. "I'm so glad that you have awakened. You had me worried," he said gently.

Anko couldn't keep her emotions from spilling over, and she buried her face into his stomach and finally cried. He stiffened at first, surprised at her sudden display, but he softened, wrapping his arms around her and cradling her like a small child.

"What's wrong, Anko?" he finally asked.

She withdrew her face from his chest, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm just so glad to see you. I was worried that you had left me alone," she whimpered.

"I would not leave you, my dear," he said. "You are too important to me." He wiped a tear from her cheek. "Now, you mustn't cry. You have to be strong. I need a strong individual such as yourself. We have a lot to get done now that you have agreed to stay by my side."

"Stay here?" she asked. "What about the village?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "The village is no place for talent such as yours. They would just use it and cast you aside when they were done with you. I care so much more for you, Anko. That village has never really cared about you. You were alone when you were assigned to me. Don't you realize how much better you are with me?"

Anko began to think about the village. She found that she couldn't remember many good things about her time there. But she remembered plenty of good things about Orochimaru.

"I guess," she said softly, continuing to think.

Orochimaru knew that she was beginning to feel discouraged. "Think of the power I have given you, Anko," he finally said, pointing to where he had bit her soft neck before. "This mark will give you power you have never even dreamed of. It would go to waste in a village such as Konoha. We will create a new village, and you will help me rule over it."

Anko was beginning to like this idea of ruling over a land of her own. Her own village, ruling side-by-side with the man she most admired. In that moment, it sounded perfect. She had trouble even remembering much about Konoha. That part of her memory seemed to be a blur to her.

"So, has your answer changed?" Orochimaru finally asked, his hands on her shoulders. He looked into her brown, pupil-less eyes, and she found herself lost in his amber ones.

She found herself mesmerized, as if she was being sucked in by him. "No," she finally managed to say, her gaze unwavering. "I want to stay with you."

He smiled, breaking his eye contact with her. "I'm so glad. We have much work to do, Anko. I left some clothes in that room for you," he said, pointing to an adjacent door. "This hideout is quite small so I apologize in advance for the sparsely furnished rooms. We will be moving to another soon, I promise."

Anko just nodded, not caring about the size of her room. As long as she was in his company, the size of the room was no concern of hers.

She pushed open the door, watching as her sensei turned back towards his workspace away from her. She smiled at the thought of starting a new life with him. Anko felt like a child who has just given the ability to spend time with her idol except in this case, she would be living with him.

The first thing Anko noticed about this room was the bed in the corner with a single set a clothes set on it. They were the same ones she had previously been wearing before she fell unconscious. Anko rifled through a few of the drawers of a dresser set into the wall at her right, finding them surprisingly full of various outfits. Many of them were the same as what her Sensei wore. It made her blush to realize that his clothing was in her room. That or that she was in his room.

She let the black robe fall from her dainty shoulder onto the floor and pulled on her shorts and shirt, finding them smelling cleaner than they had before. He must have washed them. When she had finished, she finally investigated the rest of the room. It was sparsely furnished, as she had suspected from his apology. It did, however, have a mirror above the dresser in which she was able to check herself.

She was embarrassed to find her hair sticking up in several conflicting directions, and she brushed it back with her hands, trying to tie it back up in its original ponytail. Despite her efforts, strands of violet hair still stuck out of the ponytail at strange angles. She gave up on that however, focusing on her eyes, which were red and puffy from crying. There wasn't much she could do for that, however, and abandoned that effort, too.

Although not happy with how she looked, Anko made her way back to the door, joining her sensei in the adjoining room. When she entered, his head moved to look at her, smiling.

"Well, shall we get started then?"

**OOO**

A single knock rapped the door to the Hokage's office, and Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up from his paperwork towards it. It was getting late, the sun all ready set and the moon shining brightly above the village. It was strange to have any visitors this late.

"Come in," he called, shuffling some of the papers in front of him. It all was beginning to feel repetitive to him. He would be happy when he could finally retire and leave the village to someone else. He already knew who would be taking over. It was just a matter on when to shift his power to this person.

The door opened, and the Third Hokage was surprised to see Kurenai Yuhi step into his office. She looked out of breath and worried, and Hiruzen actually stood, offering a chair to the young girl. He knew her well what with her being a good friend of his son's.

"Kurenai, what's the matter? It is late," the Third asked as she took a seat, still catching her breath.

"It's… Anko Mitarashi, Lord Hokage," Kurenai panted. She finally caught her breath and continued. "She was really excited because she was going on a mission with her sensei. She told me all about it. But I think something's wrong."

"And why is that?"

"Because she should be back all ready," Kurenai answered.

This shocked the Third Hokage. He knew that Orochimaru had been out on a mission, but the disappearance of Anko was strange. He hadn't even realized that Orochimaru had taken her with him. "And she's not?"

Kurenai shook her head. "Her apartment is empty," she said. "And all of her clothing and personal possessions are gone."

* * *

**~AN~**

**Thanks for reading. Sorry. I was planning on updating this regularly but I just had a Japanese exchange student with me for two weeks so it has been difficult to find time to upload this. I leave for Japan soon but if I have internet access I may be able to post more chapters while I am there. **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!**

* * *

_"Nothing we can do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future." — Ashleigh Brilliant_

* * *

"Orochimaru-sama, where are we going," Anko asked as she watched him pack up their clothing and other things they would take with them. They were traveling light he had told her.

Orochimaru did not look up from his packing. "We must leave to go to another of my hideouts farther away. It isn't safe for us to stay here for an extended period of time." He finished packing and closed his pack, throwing it over his shoulder. He looked at Anko quickly, extending a hand to caress her cheek. "You should not be troubled, my dear," he said. "I'll be with you, I assure you."

Anko smiled as his hand retracted from her face. He turned to leave the room, motioning for Anko to follow. She did so, staring at her Sensei's back.

She never looked back at that place she had called home.

**OOO**

It took them three days to reach the next hideout. Anko hadn't even realized they had arrived at their destination until she stumbled into Orochimaru's back. She was actually looking forward to another night on the road. She enjoyed sleeping in Orochimaru's company and the brief training she received before they drifted off to sleep.

Orochimaru slid back a thick curtain of greenery, ushering Anko in before he followed her. It smelt dank in this hideout. Anko could tell that it hadn't been occupied in quite a while.

"This is one of my most secluded hideouts," he explained to her. "It's bigger than our previous residence albeit a bit more noticeable. We should feel right at home here."

Anko was fascinated by all of the equipment he had scattered around the hideout: tanks glowing with weird substances and strange animal looking things and body parts in other containers. It intrigued her, and she found herself looking deep within them and losing herself in them.

"I see you like them," Orochimaru said from behind her. Anko nodded, her eyes fixed on the containers, or more correctly, the reflection of her sensei standing behind her. "They'll all be under your power, my dear, once you have a little more training and knowledge about them."

"Really?" she asked, turning to him.

He nodded. "Of course, my dear. For you, anything."

**OOO**

Anko deflected his attack with a kunai quickly, ducking as his leg sailed over her head. It fell back toward her head in an axe kick, and right before he made contact she disappeared in a puff of smoke, a log in her place.

Orochimaru looked around for her, his ears waiting for any sound to give away her position. He heard a slight rustling in the trees and turned around. Anko launched herself at him, her hands finishing a hand signal before flames erupted from her mouth, engulfing her sensei. His body went up in flames, and Anko was almost worried that she had gone too far.

"Sensei?" she asked as the flames began to subside. She kept her guard up, however, as she searched for her sensei.

She felt a cold substance on her throat and knew that it was silly for her to have thought her simple attack would have hurt her sensei.

"You mustn't worry for your opponent," he warned, the kunai pressing a bit closer to her neck. "Even if it is me." She felt the wet sensation of his tongue licking the blood that beaded under the kunai softly. It felt good against her warm flesh.

He released her after he was done, and she felt slightly dizzy as she got over the sensation of his touch.

"You are most certainly growing stronger in a short amount of time," Orochimaru commented. "Perhaps it is time that I teach you one of my most notable jutsus." His words peaked Anko's interest.

"I'm ready," she said bravely, trying to put on the most ambitious front she could muster. "Please teach me."

Orochimaru did not say a word and only rolled up the sleeve of his shirt to show her a tattoo he had that traveled from his wrist to halfway up his forearm.

"This is my summoning tattoo," he explained, drawing blood from his opposite hand and gliding his bleeding finger over the tattoo, leaving a crimson trail in his wake. He performed a few hand seals and watched as a cloud of smoke appeared. As the smoke cleared, a snake was left looking at Orochimaru through slitted eyes.

"Orochimaru, there had better be a good reason for calling me here now," the snake hissed, it's tongue flicking in and out angrily. "You know I don't like to be summoned."

Orochimaru smirked. "Oh how could I forget? But you are the only one I could call." He pointed in the direction of Anko who stood in awe directly behind the snake. The snake turned toward the direction of his finger, and his slitted, amber eyes locked on Anko's own brown ones. For a minute, fear passed through her.

"You called me here so this brat could learn to summon?" the snake asked. He chuckled. "You think this little girl will be a good enough kunoichi to summon?"

Anko's eyes darkened as she glared at the snake. She pulled a kunai from her sleeve, brandishing it in front of the snake. "I am not weak," she snarled, waving the kunai threateningly at the snake. "Now, teach me to summon."

Orochimaru cleared his throat. "Although I commend your braveness, Anko, I believe that you should display some manners." Anko put the knife away, bowing her head in shame.

"Yes, Sensei. I'm sorry," she muttered, glaring at the snake out of the corner of her eye.

The snake looked at her again, this time approval coming into his eyes. "Seems like you actually have a tough one here. She'll come in handy when she gets a little older." The snake seemed to pause in thought before a scroll appeared and unfurled in front of Anko on the ground. "All right, kid, draw blood on one of your fingers and dab a little on each finger of your hand, then, place that hand here and sign your name under it. See how the others did it? Do that."

Anko did as she was told, taking time to read the other names next to her own. She spotted her own sensei's name and his fingerprints placed there in his own crimson blood. It actually made her smile.

When she had finished, the scroll disappeared, and the snake looked at her. "Now you can summon. But be warned: we snakes require payment when you summon us for large tasks. You'll do well to remember that." He looked at Orochimaru. "This girl actually has a lot of potential as a student. If you play your cards right, she'll be a valuable asset when she gains more experience. Just don't do anything stupid, Orochimaru." With that, the snake disappeared into a puff of smoke.

**OOO**

Kakashi was handed a single picture, which he stared at silently as the Third Hokage droned on about protocol and backstory and utter nonsense. His task was simple: infiltrate Orochimaru's hideout and retrieve the girl. Bring Orochimaru into custody if possible. It should be simple, boring even. He didn't seem to pay attention any more. His thoughts always drifted back to his sensei. No mission seemed important after his sensei died.

"Do you understand, Kakashi?" the Third asked, picking him out of the group of ANBU to answer his question. "You seem distracted."

Kakashi shook his head. "I understand. Don't get caught, get the girl, arrest the snake: simple."

"Don't take this mission for granted, Kakashi. This is a high-ranked mission, after all," the Third Hokage warned.

**OOO**

Orochimaru emerged from the rain completely drenched, and Anko helped him with his coat, hanging it wherever she found room. He had gone out to collect information but left Anko behind to guard the hideout.

"Seems that the Nine-tails was released and attacked the Leaf Village," Orochimaru reported, shaking his damp hair slightly. "Their beloved Fourth Hokage along with many other ninja passed away due to the incident. What a pity."

Anko nodded in agreement, thinking about how much destruction that had caused. While she had been gone, however, she had grown indifferent towards the village. She didn't really care what happened to it now.

Orochimaru headed further into the hideout. "I'll be in my room working. You should go practice. The rain should let up soon. I may join you later."

Anko again nodded as her sensei disappeared from sight. She turned towards the door and ran out into the rain, enjoying the way the cool rain pelted her skin. She ran about twenty feet from the hideout, uphill, settling at the top. It was her favorite spot to train: plenty of animals hiding in the trees and plenty of targets to aim for. It was also secluded, a quality she appreciated in training grounds.

"It's this way."

Anko nearly fell down the hill she was standing on when she heard another voice coming from the trees. She quickly scrambled up a tree, hiding within the cover of its many thick branches. Just as she hid, a few ninjas emerged from the tree line. Anko noticed that they wore Leaf Village headbands.

One looked down, straight at their hideout and pointed to the others. "It's down there." All three darted down the hill, and Anko crouched, paralyzed, in the tree. They couldn't possibly know about their hideout. They couldn't get in.

She strained her ears to hear what they were saying, but found it impossible due to the rain. She watched as one with startling white hair pointed to both sides of their hideout. The other two he was with darted in those directions.

Then, the white haired one began to study the front of their hideout, looking intently at it.

After a short while, he placed his hands on the wall. And then, he disappeared into the hideout.

**OOO**

The hideout was unlike anything Kakashi had ever imagined. It was larger than it had appeared from the outside, and he knew that he should never had gone in alone, but that was past him. It was a simple mission, after all. He didn't need backup.

The thing he noticed immediately was that there were not many doors leading to other rooms. It was just a long hallway with doors sporadically appearing in the walls. He had expected a hideout of this size to contain more rooms.

His hand reached for a doorknob at the end of the expansive hallways, and it turned silently in his hand. He moved to push it open.

**OOO**

Anko side-kicked the white-haired boy hard, sending him into the opposite wall. He recovered quickly though, turning to face his assailant. She was shrouded in darkness, however, making it hard for Kakashi to see her.

"Leave, now," Anko ordered.

Kakashi was shocked that he had been attacked so abruptly. Maybe the Hokage was right: this was a high-ranked mission.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," he retorted. "I'm on a mission." He sprang at her, managing to grab her wrist and flip her on her back. She felt the air leave her lungs as her back hit the concrete floor, and she was momentarily stunned. Her hair was wet and had fallen out of its ponytail. She was sopping wet, and the hit on the ground felt like a wet slap to her back. Still, she couldn't let Orochimaru be bothered with this Leaf Village nuisance.

She pushed herself up quickly, launching herself back at the white-haired boy. She managed to land one punch before she had to retreat to avoid being hit.

Anko bit her thumb, performing hand signs that she had only learned a short period ago. She hadn't had time to practice summoning much since she learned it initially, but now was a good time for practice.

Although she knew nothing about what she was doing, snakes did manage to spring from her sleeve and attack Kakashi, though he easily evaded her attack.

He seemed to slow slightly, his eyes searching her own. That's when she noticed that he had one sharingan, the special ability of the Uchiha clan of the Leaf Village. She knew she couldn't compete with that power just yet, though she could certainly try.

"Anko? Anko Mitarashi?" the boy asked suddenly, causing Anko to stop dead in her tracks.

She glared at him through suspicious eyes. "How do you know my name?" she asked, getting into a defensive stance, ready for his tricks.

"I was sent to bring you back, to save you from Orochimaru. Please, I don't want to fight you," he said gently, holding his hands up in surrender.

Anko snarled. "I don't need saving. I don't want to go back to the Leaf Village."

Kakashi looked confused. "But Orochimaru is an S-ranked criminal. He can't be trusted. You have to come back home to the Leaf Village."

Anko laughed. "The Leaf Village? Home? That place isn't my home. This is my home, where I'm with someone who cares about me."

"He doesn't care about you. He uses people. He killed his other students. He used them as lab rats." Kakashi began to approach her slowly as if approaching a small animal. "The Leaf Village wants him brought to justice."

With every foul word toward her sensei, Anko felt her eyes darkening and her anger rising. The mark on her neck began to pulse as she felt power seep into her veins, mixing with her anger to form a deadly combination.

"Don't say another bad word about my sensei," she muttered angrily, grabbing the boy's hand and pinning him to the wall. She felt more powerful. She felt that this boy's strength was nothing compared to her own. She no longer felt exhausted or that she might lose. He was losing now.

She had her hand over his throat, squeezing slightly. He looked deep into her brown eyes, trying to figure out where her sudden strength came from.

"Anko," the boy managed to gasp. "Stop this. Come back. Everyone misses you. Kurenai and your classmates… miss you." Anko squeezed harder, making it so Kakashi could no longer speak.

"Tell your Leaf Village," Anko began, "that Orochimaru is my Sensei, and if they want him dead, they'll have to kill me too." Anko thought about it for a second. Her vision was beginning to become blurred. What she saw didn't seem like her normal vision. It was heightened, different, and inhuman. "Maybe if you're dead they'll get the same message." She began to squeeze his throat, and the boy's eyes became wide as he struggled for air.

Anko felt a hand on her shoulder. "Let him go now, Anko," a familiar voice whispered in her ear. She complied, releasing the boy. He collapsed, unconscious from lack of air. Anko stared down at his seemingly lifeless body, unsure if it was really she who did this. Her eyesight began to revert back to its normal state, and she could think clearly now.

Orochimaru picked the boy up, moving toward the door and throwing him out into the rain like a rag doll. He rested facedown in the soft grass five feet from the entrance of the hideout.

Orochimaru turned to Anko. "His teammates are at the far side of the hideout. They'll be here within minutes. We must leave now." He beckoned toward the door. Anko followed him out, leaving everything she had come to know during her time at this hideout behind.

As they left, she managed to steal one last glance at the white-haired boy who still lied unconscious in the ground. She momentarily felt something like sadness, but it passed quickly, and she stared at her sensei instead. Why should she care about a stupid Leaf Village boy anyway?

"Where are we going, Sensei?" Anko asked five minutes later. They were all ready a fair distance from their hideout, and nothing looked familiar to Anko in this forest.

"We must leave. The Leaf Village knows too much about our whereabouts. I think it's best if we drop off the map for now," Orochimaru instructed. "The last thing I want is to have a repeat of this incident. I couldn't stand it if the Leaf Village managed to take you from me."

Anko blushed slightly at his indirect compliment. "How long do we have to leave?" she asked, all ready missing their old hideout. It had begun to feel like home to her the brief time they had occupied it.

"I'm afraid we'll be gone for quite a while, my dear. I can't take any chances. And besides, there's some items I want to take care of while we're away."

* * *

**~AN~**

**Thanks everyone for your support. I really appreciate it! Sorry for the hiatus... I've been in Japan for 2 weeks without my laptop so it was impossible to post. **

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Again, I really appreciate any support! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...**

* * *

_"Nothing we can do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future." — Ashleigh Brilliant_

**Five Years Later**

**OOO**

"Anko, wake up. It's time to leave," Orochimaru called from behind her door.

Anko rolled over in bed, putting a pillow over her head. "Sensei, please, one day of sleeping in. I trained late last night. Please go away," she said, trying to stay polite. She was irritable when he woke her early.

Orochimaru pushed open the door, catching the kunai Anko threw at him between two fingers. "We have important business to take care of in a neighboring land. Get up and get dressed now," he ordered a little less pleasantly. Anko sighed before swinging her legs out of bed onto the floor. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and proceeded to pull her hair back into a ponytail.

"What's so important that you can't let me sleep?" she asked, rummaging through a drawer to find some clothes. She slipped on her dark skirt, mesh suit, and black coat without opening her eyes, not caring that Orochimaru was in the room. They had lived in each other's company long enough to not be bothered by certain trivial issues.

"A boy that I believe will be a good addition to our cause," Orochimaru explained.

Anko finally opened her eyes, staring at her sensei skeptically. "A boy? Why do we need a boy?"

"Is someone jealous?" Orochimaru joked, earning a glare from Anko. "He's a medical ninja. The last time I checked, my dear, you and I are not particularly skilled in the medical field."

Anko glanced at the scar left on her right arm after one of their more violent practices and couldn't help but agree that a medical ninja would be a useful addition to their little "family."

Orochimaru opened the door for her, ushering her through it silently. It was still dark outside, the sun not yet visible over the horizon.

"Where are we going, anyways?" Anko finally asked as she followed her sensei through the forest.

"To Iwagakure," Orochimaru answered simply. Anko grimaced.

"But that's so far," she complained, muttering curses under her breath. She was tired and really did not want to make the long trek to Iwagakure. It would take them days in the winter cold to reach the Stone Village from their "Sound Village" as Orochimaru called it.

"It will give us plenty of opportunity to train, then. For now, stop complaining and keep walking," Orochimaru instructed. Anko grimaced once more, glaring at her sensei. She hadn't wanted another addition to their "family" in the first place, and now she must sacrifice the warmth of their hideout while they search for this boy. He had better be worth it.

**OOO**

Anko was freezing as she clung to the warmth of the fire that Orochimaru had started in their little cave. The snow was falling heavily outside, the wind battering the trees and bringing the cold into their little refuge. Anko shivered, finding the blanket she had unsuited for this weather. She didn't understand why Orochimaru would pick the dead of winter to find this mysterious medical ninja.

They had trained a bit until the cold forced them to seek refuge, and Anko found herself desperately wanting to fall asleep despite the cold. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back on the cool wall, focusing her mind on warmth and comfort.

She felt a hand on her shoulder as she was pulled into something much warmer than the wall. She felt Orochimaru's chest lifting up and down as he breathed and felt his breath on her as he looked down at her.

With this new warmth, she quickly fell asleep.

Awaking with a start, Anko found herself on the cool floor of the cave, the embers of their fire cooling. There was a dim light shining through the mouth of the cave. Anko was alone, last night's events a distant memory. She quickly stood, stepping out into the cool morning.

The night had left a soft blanket of snow on the ground, shining brilliant white in the early morning sun. Orochimaru stood a mere five feet away, looking into the distance. He looked like an angel to Anko in that light.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. "We're very close."

Anko nodded, watching as he disappeared into the trees. She waited a moment before following behind.

They had only been traveling a few hours when Orochimaru stopped her, gesturing over to a rock. They had passed the boundary of Iwagakure an hour before, and Anko felt strange being in a Hidden Village again. Everything felt so different to her.

"Do you see him?" Orochimaru asked.

Anko looked out from behind the rocks, spotting a boy sitting beside a pool of water. He seemed to be looking at his reflection in thought. He wore traditional Iwagakure shinobi apparel, and Anko couldn't help but feel skeptical about Orochimaru's wishes. Despite these feelings of apprehension, she knew that she could not go against his wishes.

"Follow closely and say nothing," Orochimaru ordered. He signaled to the water, and Anko instantly understood. He had been working with her on a water-style jutsu he had discovered. It was quite simply a jutsu that allowed them to appear from the water. Quite simple, but highly affective in this situation.

She followed him, slowly emerging from the water in front of this boy who jumped back in alarm. "Seems like you aren't really seeing yourself," Orochimaru hissed as his face emerged from the water.

"You sure have become quite the shinobi. I remember you… Kabuto," he continued. The boy trembled in fear as he stared at Orochimaru. Anko smirked. This boy seemed so young, although he was only a year or so younger than she. He seemed like a scared little brat to her.

"You are…" Kabuto began.

"I have been watching you all this time. Together with Nonou… I mean, mother," Orochimaru hissed. Anko remained silent, confused as to what was going on between the two at the moment. She realized that Orochimaru had told her nothing.

Kabuto jumped back, the mentioning of his mother hitting a sore spot.

"Come with me and I'll tell you all you wish to know," Orochimaru bargained. When Kabuto asked what he could tell him, Orochimaru simply replied, "The reason Mother attacked you… and didn't remember you." Kabuto's eyes widened. Orochimaru's lowered menacingly. "Don't you want to know?"

Kabuto looked between Orochimaru and Anko, finally seeming to notice her.

"And she is?" he asked, ignoring Orchimaru's question.

Orochimaru gestured to Anko, standing dripping wet on the bank beside him. "This is my dear student Anko formerly from the Hidden Leaf Village. She will be helping us on our little endeavor if you so choose to follow me," Orochimaru explained. He walked past Kabuto, Anko close at his heels. "If you wish to know everything, follow me. If not, continue staring at yourself in pity as you mourn the loss of your dear mother."

Kabuto looked back at the water one last time before turning to follow the duo.

"Where are we going?" Anko whispered to Orochimaru as she watched Kabuto out of the corner of her eye. She didn't trust him.

"I have a hideout on the outskirts of Iwagakure: one of many. We'll go there for now."

This new hideout was far bigger than any Anko had seen, filled with experiments and tools. Anko could not believe her eyes as she stared at the different items adorning tables.

"This is my hideout," Orochimaru said grandly. "No one knows about it… In other words, you are my first guest. Even Anko knew nothing about this hideout."

Kabuto's hands clenched into fists. "Why did you take me here? What do you want?" he asked loudly, pulling off his headband and throwing it on the floor.

Orochimaru smirked. "It looks like there is more than one thing that you want to know. That is good. People cannot resist their desire to 'know,' which is also what brought you here," he said nonchalantly.

"Then just tell me!" Kabuto said desperately. "You know what I want to know right?" Anko actually felt pity for this boy. Orochimaru was toying with him, and she knew it. But she chose to stand back and let the boys fight. She was too absorbed in the new technology her sensei had kept hidden from her.

"I'll be straightforward. Root decided to get rid of both you and your mother," Orochimaru explained. "You were too skilled as spies."

Anko tuned out at this point, bored by their trivial chatter. Kabuto was a spy. His mother was a spy. This Root organization tricked them and now one was dead, the other to blame. It was all so simple. Anko still didn't understand what Orochimaru saw in this boy.

"Quite smart for someone who cannot even understand himself," was the last thing she heard her sensei say before she caught movement in her peripheral vision as Kabuto sprang at Orochimaru, catching the man's neck.

I wanted someone that would explain to me who I am!" Kabuto screamed. "And when I finally thought I had found them, I lost everything again because of Root!" His hand rose over Orochimaru's throat, pulsing with blue chakra.

"Orochimaru-sensei!" Anko yelled, lunging at the boy. His hand came down on Orochimaru before she could reach him, but she managed to kick him into the opposite wall hard enough to crack the wall. She turned on the boy. "How dare you!" she said, quickly losing it. She felt the maddening rush of power she had only felt once before, right as she was about to crush that Kakashi boy's throat.

"Relax, Anko. Show our guest some manners. I'm afraid I said something that touched a nerve," Orochimaru said from behind her. She turned in relief to find that he had emerged from his "skin" of sorts perfectly healed. The rush of power left her, and she stepped back, allowing Orochimaru to face Kabuto.

"If you want to know who you are, you can collect all kinds of information that is in this world, and you're sure to be successful," Orochimaru explained, stepping closer to a crumpled Kabuto. He looked dazed after Anko's attack, but still managed to look up at Orochimaru in fear.

"Why do you need me?" he asked.

"I trust your talent more than anyone else. It would be a pity to kill you. I actually prepared this medical laboratory for you," he said, gesturing around him at the vast medical equipment occupying the room. "Unlike Root that suppresses one's self, I want to create an organization, a village that brings it out. The Village of Sound that belongs to no country."

Kabuto looked surprised. Anko was awestruck. Orochimaru talked as if she weren't around to hear. She knew that he favored her, but the words he spoke to this child were sickening to her.

"I'll give you a new background. As a child you were found in 'the Battle of Kikyou Pass' and raised by the captain of the medical team. When you go back to Danzo's Place on the surface you will be the child of Captain Nonou Yakushi," he explained. "From now you are reborn as Kabuto Yakushi. You shall go back to Konoha and report to me from within. We shall construct the Sound Village from the ground and succeed in destroying the Leaf Village."

Kabuto only nodded.

**OOO**

Anko watched as Kabuto disappeared into the distance, his figure lost as he passed beyond the rocks surrounding the hideout. She waited a few minutes, staring in the direction of Kabuto, making sure he did not turn back. When she was assured that he had left, she turned back to her mentor.

"I still don't really understand the point of recruiting this boy," Anko complained as she eyed her sensei suspiciously. He continued staring in the direction of the retreating Kabuto. "I thought he was going to be our medical ninja, but you're just sending him back to the village."

"Patience, we don't need him quite yet," Orochimaru said. "We need eyes inside the village for now."

"I could have done that!" Anko interrupted. "You didn't need to send a fourteen-year-old brat to do that!"

Orochimaru smiled. "Ah, yes because why send a fourteen-year-old brat when I could send a fifteen-year-old brat who is being searched for by the ANBU?" he chided. Anko frowned. He had a point.

"Besides," he went on. "I have another need for you. I can't lose you to the village." He was staring at her intently now, his amber eyes penetrating her brown ones.

"And what would that be?" she asked, suddenly interested.

"If we want to have a powerful village, we must have powerful shinobi," he explained. "Unfortunately, I lost my chance at gaining Sharingan eyes, at least for now."

Anko recalled her sensei's Akatsuki experience years ago. He had not let her accompany him, but had described the ordeal in great detail. Needless to say, Orochimaru ruined their chances of obtaining a powerful kekkei genkai for the moment.

Anko smiled sadistically, knowing what he was implying. "You just want more shinobi don't you?" she asked.

Orochimaru smiled back at her, equally sadistic. "Of course. Although, they will merely be specimens at first." He eyed her carefully. "Care to go on a little scavenger hunt?"

Anko grinned. "Of course, Orochimaru-sama."

* * *

**~AN~**

**Sorry. I meant to post this earlier. School started and I just haven't been motivated with this story. It's all written but it doesn't seem like many people are enjoying it. It's a short story (only like 2 more chapters left) so thank you for reading (and reviewing)! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._**

* * *

_"Nothing we can do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future." — Ashleigh Brilliant_

* * *

First came a boy, Kimimaro. Anko knew nothing about the subject except that he was very powerful. He was a prime candidate for their new village.

Although Anko was prepared for large fight against the boy, he came willingly. His eyes betrayed deep misery, and, hopeful that Orochimaru might provide him with a better life, Kimimaro followed them back to their base. From then on, Anko was left alone, acting as the babysitter of sorts for each new specimen Orochimaru found.

It started with just twenty or so specimens at first, locked away like animals, that Anko was responsible for. Soon, Orochimaru began adding more and more, and within a year's time, a good fifty people were being experimented on daily. Their moans of pain and suffering actually made Anko laugh. She found that every day she was displaying more similarities to her sensei.

And she loved it.

**OOO**

Orochimaru was upstairs experimenting on one of the countless specimens. Anko did not even know most of their given names. She went by description or number in most cases. It was not her problem anyways. All she did was watch to make sure they didn't kill each other as well as the occasional test of survival against one. Needless to say, she won most battles. No one could dare compare to Orochimaru's first and prime student. It was a death sentence to go against her, and word spread quickly among Orochimaru's specimens. Even the most daring did not have the guts to talk back to her.

That did not stop the occasional few from picking fights between each other. Most of the time, Anko let them get in a few attacks before she thought of stopping them. It was fun to watch them beat the crap out of each other. It was even better when blood was spilled.

The most irritating was when the specimens failed to listen to her when she did step in. Blood may have been invigorating to her but when a specimen died, she received the wrath of Orochimaru, and that was never enjoyable.

Enjoying the screams that floated through the walls of the hideout, Anko sat watching some of the specimens as they walked aimlessly around their cage. Most had been there long enough to know that there was no hope of escaping. A few still wandered around looking for weak points in the cage. Anko did not even try to tell them to give it up. She liked watching their despair.

"Cut it out, will you?" one specimen called to another. It was a red headed one, one who had been there for a long time. He was the second one to come here and had survived so much experimentation that he was actually sometimes regarded as a prized member of the Sound Village.

The one he was talking to was a new boy, young and inexperienced when it came to Orochimaru's hideout.

"Don't tell me to cut it out!" he yelled back at the red head. Just then, a blood curdling scream could be heard emanating from the room above. "I have to get out of here!" he continued. Anko loved his expression. It was one full of fear.

The red headed boy stood, walking toward the scared one. "You're not getting out of here, so suck it up and get used to it." He smiled. "That's going to be you next."

That seemed to drive the other boy over the edge, and he lashed out at the red head, a stupid move. The red head drove the other into the wall, the stone actually cracking from the impact. Anko could see the rage in his eyes and noticed the markings of his curse mark, which had just been bestowed upon him, move to cover his face.

Things were getting out of hand. She stood, prepared to enter and stop this. Just then, she noticed a change in the frightened boy. He became transparent, like water, and slipped out of the red head's grasp, collecting like liquid on the ground and moving behind the boy.

He reformed into his human shape behind the red head with a grin. The other looked confused, and Anko noticed the curse mark recede slightly as his rage was replaced with confusion.

"What the hell was that?" the boy asked, taking the words right out of Anko's mouth.

The liquid one smiled. "What too advanced for you?" he mocked the other. "I'm Sugeitsu Hozuki from Kirigakure. I'm more powerful than any of you would imagine and don't you forget it!"

The red head became angry again. "I don't think you know what you just got yourself into, Sugeitsu Hozuki." The muscles in his neck began to flex as he became stronger. "I'm Jugo. I have no home and have been here for longer than you could even imagine." He thrust his arm forward, catching Sugeitsu off guard, and thrust him into the wall so hard Anko could see his eyes spinning. "You do not want to cross me."

Finally Anko had had it. Even if Sugeitsu could liquefy himself and slip out of Jugo's grasp, this could go on much longer than was necessary and result in others getting injured. Then it would be her neck instead of theirs.

She landed next to Jugo without a sound, taking her time looking between the struggling Sugeitsu and the towering Jugo. Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she looked at Jugo.

"Let him go now," she ordered him in a mockingly sweet way. That usually sent the specimens running for cover. Instead, Jugo ignored her, not even giving her the time of day.

Anko's eyes lost their look of amusement, and she looked at Jugo in an irritated manner. "I said, let him go now," she ordered menacingly, glaring at the red headed boy. Again, Jugo kept his grip on Sugeitsu, who was starting to look a bit blue.

"I said, let him go now!" she yelled, knocking Jugo back into the other wall, cracking it with the force. Sugeitsu fell to his knees, gasping for air.

Jugo looked at her angrily, his curse mark receding slightly. "What the hell did you do that for?"

Anko had had it, and felt the rage spreading through her that she knew too well. She looked at Jugo and said, "I told you to let him go, and you disobeyed me. I don't care if you are one of Orochimaru's favorite specimens. If you don't listen to me, well," she lowered her voice slightly. "I'll kill you."

"You didn't need to help me," Sugeitsu muttered, still sitting on the floor.

Anko glanced down at him with anger and bloodlust. She stamped her foot on his hand feeling the crunch as the sole of her foot met his frail, bony hand. He yelped in pain.

She knelt down next to him as he cradled his broken hand, looking into his purple eyes with a grin. "You'd do well to learn what the rest of them have learned. You don't cross me. You don't cross Orochimaru. If you do, you won't survive long."

With that, she shot one last look of warning at Jugo before leaving the specimen area.

**OOO**

When she emerged from the basement specimen area, she found that Orochimaru was done with his experimentation, as the lab looked completely clean, no specimen to be found. He glanced at her irritated appearance with a frown.

"I see that you had some trouble with some of the specimens," he mused.

She sighed. "It's so irritating that they have to fight like animals."

Orochimaru smiled. "I'm sorry, my dear. Only a bit longer. I plan on having someone else to watch them for you in due time. For now, I still must experiment a bit with these specimens."

He paused for a second before continuing. "You remember Kabuto Yakushi, correct?"

Anko nodded, remembering the kid that they had met years ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Well, he will be coming back to live with us for a while. Konoha will believe that he is on a mission."

"Why does he need to come here?" Anko asked bitterly.

Orochimaru smiled. "I detect a hint of jealousy." Anko glared at him. He stopped his chiding and said, "No matter. I need his medical expertise with some of the experiments. He will only be here for a short while. Then, I'll send him back, and you won't have to deal with him for a while."

He looked at her again, his eyes betraying the slightest bit of annoyance. "I honestly do not understand your problem with the boy."

Anko sighed. She just did not like the idea of someone taking her sensei away from her.

**OOO**

It was a rainy day when Kabuto arrived at Orochimaru's hideout. He was dripping wet, his hair hanging in his eyes making him look younger than he really was. He brushed it back only to find Anko glaring at him.

"Anko right?" he asked a bit too politely.

Anko continued to glare at him, watching carefully out of the corner of her eye for her sensei. When she saw that he was nowhere to be seen, she got even closer to the boy, her nose almost touching his.

"Listen here," she began, looking deep into his eyes. "Lord Orochimaru may trust you, but I will kill you if you screw up and do anything to hurt him. Got it?"

Kabuto did not answer at first and appeared to be sizing her up before saying, "I don't doubt it." Suddenly, Anko felt a pointy object pushed slightly on her stomach. She looked down quickly, finding that Kabuto was holding a scalpel to her abdomen. She glared back at him, but he merely said, "Although I would be careful with whom you pick a fight with."

She thought about fighting him then and there before being broken from her bloodthirsty trance by her sensei's voice saying, "I see you two are getting along." His voice was laced with sarcasm, and Anko instantly felt ashamed. She stepped back against the wall, apologizing quickly first to her sensei and then to Kabuto, although a bit insincerely.

When Orochimaru passed her, Anko could see the disappointment in his eyes.

* * *

**~AN~**

**Only 2 more chapter I believe. This was a pretty short story for me. Thanks to anyone reading and especially those of you kind enough to leave me a review. I really appreciate it.**

**I've had a few people review wishing for more Orochimaru. Unfortunately when I wrote this story I focused more on Anko than I did with Orochimaru. I have to believe that when she was younger (and if he actually did take her with him) he would be more focused on his goals than her. That's just my opinion.**

**But thank you for continuing to read. Hope you like it... at least a little bit.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto...**

**Note: I did not realize it but this is actually the last chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Nothing we can do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future." — Ashleigh Brilliant_

* * *

The next few months passed by without an incident. It passed by without much of anything actually. With Kabuto living with them, Orochimaru's time was taken up with his experiments. He had little time for Anko, and she found herself content with staying with the specimens, fighting once in awhile, and doing practically nothing.

The day that Kabuto finally left to go back to the village made Anko so happy that she could barely contain herself. She even waved Kabuto off with a smile on her face. Anko did not like him a single bit. She prided herself in being Orochimaru's first and favorite student. When someone came and threatened that, she got a bit angry.

"You look a bit too happy," Orochimaru commented as Kabuto disappeared in the distance.

Anko shrugged. "I like having my sensei back. It was getting a little bit boring being left alone."

Orochimaru looked at her. "I'm sorry, my dear," he said, placing a hand fondly on her shoulder. "But I have big plans. Everything is falling into place."

He turned back and entered the hideout. Anko followed after him eagerly, waiting for him to continue. When he did not continue his explanation she asked, "What are your plans, Orochimaru-sama?"

He smiled. "We're going to cripple the Leaf Village."

**OOO**

Training for Anko increased tenfold in the coming months. Orochimaru was actually allowing her to accompany him to Konoha, after much persuasion. Although she had to be careful while she was there, she was still able to go, which made her beam with happiness. She was ready to get out of the hideout and help Orochimaru with her plans. She cared nothing for her home village anymore. Those feelings were gone.

She was a young woman now, her beauty that made even the specimen's heads turn and faces blush. She rarely thought about it, but Anko actually found herself thinking about what she would be like back in Konoha. She would most likely be a Jonin, maybe even leading her own squad. As soon as these trivial thoughts came to her, they quickly left. There was no time to think about those things.

All she needed to focus on now was the plan. The Chunin Exams were taking place in Konoha. They would attack then.

"Are you ready, Anko?" Orochimaru called for her. She nodded, grabbing the attire Orochimaru had left for her. It was a tradition Sand Village wardrobe, comprised of enough clothing to cover any of her noticeable features that others may recognize.

Orochimaru's plan was already in full swing by now. She had not been present during Orochimaru's early preparation in the village during the first stages of the Chunin Exams. She had stayed back and trained some of the specimens for their roles in the plan. It was actually entertaining for her. She enjoyed being a teacher instead of student.

When she emerged from her room, she was taken aback by her sensei's garb. He looked exactly like the current Kazekage of the Sand Village. When her initial surprise subsided, she actually cracked a smile. "That clothing suits you, Orochimaru-sama."

He smiled underneath his face cover. "As does yours, my dear. You make a great attendant to the Kazekage."

That was the role she would play. She would be by her sensei's side during the third phase of the exam as he watched with the Hokage. When the battle started, she would fight along with the other Sand Villagers whom Orochimaru had made a deal with. It was a flawless plan. Orochimaru would successfully kill the Third Hokage and bring Konoha to its knees. He would be able to squash it under his foot. The thought almost made Anko laugh with glee.

**OOO**

Everything went according to plan, and before Anko knew it, she and her sensei were brought to a platform viewing the stadium. Her sensei, posed as the Kazekage, sat a mere foot away from the Hokage, and their proximity seemed too perfect to her. Everything was going just as planned.

As the fights wore on, Anko found it harder and harder to stay still, wanting so bad to fight. Orochimaru could sense her tension and, looking at her standing next to his chair, beckoned for her to go join the rest of the Sand Villagers. She nodded, bowing slightly to him and then the Hokage before leaving.

It was beginning.

**OOO**

Anko watched eagerly from her seat with the spectators at Orochimaru and the Hokage. She could see that they were talking quietly, but she could not make out what they were saying. She knew that he would have to start soon. The matches were coming to a close. He would need to make his move.

As she scanned the stands, she noticed all of the Sand Village and Sound Village ninja scattered throughout, some standing in the back of the studio watching Orochimaru as she was. The only difference was that they did not know that he was Orochimaru. Only she and a select few knew that that was not the Kazekage.

She was torn from her thoughts by the scene below. The Sand Village jinchuriki had been injured by the Uchiha boy from Konoha. Anko grimaced. That would be a major setback in their plans. She suddenly was worried, glancing nervously up at her sensei and back at the tournament. She willed the boy to get up and release the Shukaku.

"Get ready. We're going to improvise," someone whispered next to her.

She looked up in time to see an ANBU passing her. Anko glanced at him with a confused look on her face. He stopped, backing up so his face was an inch away from hers. He removed his mask, revealing Kabuto Yakushi. He held his finger to his lips for silence. He put the mask back on, walking to the back of the seating area.

Before Anko could inquire what he wanted to do, she watched him form a few hand seals. Feathers filled her vision, and she had a split second to realize what he was doing.

"A genjutsu," she said quickly to herself, performing the necessary hand gestures so that she would not be affected. She blinked, finding that the feathers were gone. All around her sat sleeping spectators. She noticed a few Konoha ninjas who had been experienced enough to realize Kabuto's trick, and were looking around slightly confused.

Anko looked to Kabuto first, then Orochimaru. He was gone, and she followed Kabuto's glance up to the roof. A barrier had been formed by four of the special specimens, called the Sound Four by everyone back at the hideout. Anko sighed a sigh of relief to know that Orochimaru was taken care of. Once that was done, she glanced at Kabuto with a knowing smirk. He disappeared, joining the fight. For once, she did not hate the boy.

Anko looked around her at the fighting ninjas. Blood was being spilled all over, and her mouth started to water. She ripped the idiotic Suna clothes from her body, letting them fall to the ground. Those clothes restricted her mobility, and, anyways, she wouldn't need them after this fight.

She grabbed a kunai from her pouch, catching a Konoha ninja off guard, and stabbed it into his neck. His blood splattered her clothing, coating her in the delectable substance. She licked her lips, loving the salty taste that met her tongue. Anko threw the man off of her onto an innocent, sleeping bystander.

"Alright," she said, wiping her kunai on one of the sleeping Konoha citizen's shirt. "Who's next?"

She wanted a challenge. She was ready for it. Anko looked around. Everyone was fighting, both foe and comrade falling to the ground in bloody piles. She was overwhelmed by the scene. The familiar feeling of power was spreading throughout her as the curse mark was awakened.

She caught an ANBU shinobi as he tried to attack her and flipped him over onto the ground. He got up quickly, but she was too powerful for him, slitting his throat before he could even raise a hand against her. Out of the corner of her advanced vision, she saw two ninja coming from behind. She took the now dead ANBU shinobi and threw him with such force that he knocked the two others to the ground. She smiled at their stupidity.

She focused her attention toward another fight taking place. A group of Konoha ninja on another level were decimating Orochimaru's forces one by one. She couldn't let that go on any longer.

With one jump she landed on the new level, right behind a young woman. Anko smiled, lifting a leg and kicking the woman from behind, sending her flying. The kunoichi caught herself, however, flipping around to face Anko. Anko's brown eyes met the red ones of this kunoichi, and she suddenly felt a bit of remorse. This woman couldn't have been much older than Anko. She actually looked a bit familiar to Anko. But those were thoughts that she couldn't think now. Eyes widening with excitement, Anko launched herself with inhuman speed at the woman, kunai poised to kill.

But before she could taste any blood, she was thrown back by a searing pain in her side. She fell to the ground in pain, grasping her side. Her flesh was burned slightly, but was already repairing itself with the aid of the curse mark's power.

"Kurenai, go help the others," she heard her attacker say. "I'll take care of things up here."

Anko gritted her teeth in anger. She shouldn't have been taken out that easily. She sprung up, facing her attacker. Anko did not even think as she launched herself at him, kunai meeting one of his own with a loud clang. As they stood there, kunai's locked against one another, she saw slight recognition register over the man's eyes.

"You're that girl," he muttered.

He sprung back, as did Anko. She studied him closer, taking in his shocking white hair and his barely visible face. She recognized him as well.

"Anko?" he asked, a bit unsure. He lowered his guard slightly, and then, Anko saw it. He was that ANBU kid sent all those years ago when she first left with her sensei. He was the one that she almost killed until Orochimaru had stopped her.

Anko moved to lunge at the Konoha shinobi before hearing her name from the level below. She sighed angrily, turning in the opposite direction and jumping from her current level to the one below. She landed swiftly, catching one ninja by surprise, plunging her kunai into his back. She kicked him to the ground, looking up to see Kabuto staring at her.

"You called?" she chided.

"Orochimaru-sama wants you," he said to her calmly as if he was not currently standing in the middle of a battlefield. Kabuto sighed. "You're the key to this succeeding. Don't screw this up."

She saluted him mockingly. "Aye aye." She turned to leave, but decided to add, "Have a little confidence in me, Kabuto. I was Orochimaru's first student." With that, she jumped from the stands, making her way swiftly to the roof.

She had been told that she was the key to the plan. Although she was not told about the all-important details of what that key was, she trusted Orochimaru completely. He would not hurt her: that she knew.

The Sound Four had already set up their barrier jutsu on the roof, but with a simple nod to them, Anko was able to pass through. The roof had changed drastically. It looked somewhat like a forest, with trees protruding from all corners of the building.

Anko was momentarily taken aback by the current state of the roof until she heard her sensei's voice.

"It's about time you showed up, my dear," he said, looking back at her with a smile on his face.

Anko smiled back at him, then noticed the Hokage behind him. The look on the man's face was priceless, one of complete shock. His expression changed from shock to visible pain as her presence registered in his brain.

"You're Anko," he said quietly, as if he could not believe it. "You're alive."

Anko smiled menacingly. "Of course, Hokage-sama," she said mockingly. "Did you expect Lord Orochimaru to have killed me?"

"Enough of this," Orochimaru broke their conversation. "Let's finish this, shall we?"

Anko smiled, tensing for a minute before running ahead with her sensei. They had practiced for hours every day for this precise moment. She felt their movements synchronize as they barraged the Hokage with their attacks. Her appearance seemed to have had a negative affect on the Hokage's attacks, as his attacks suddenly felt weak. He kept trying to reason with her, talk to her, but Anko ignored him, continuing the attack. She felt her curse mark begin to awaken, eliminating any doubts she had.

Anko knew it was over only when she felt her sensei's body relax. The Hokage lay motionless on the ground, his eyes staring blankly at the sky. Anko felt herself smiling as she watched her sensei approach the Hokage's motionless body. He stared down silently for a moment, his look conveying so many emotions that Anko could not help but feel slightly confused. She had never seen Orochimaru like this before.

"I knew that you would lose the will to fight with her here," Orochimaru said to him. "It's what makes you weak and unfit to rule. But worry not, I will take over for you now, Sensei."

He turned in the opposite direction, walking past Anko. Her role suddenly became clear. She was the distraction. That was the key part in his plan. He could not have won without her. She realized that he had planned this without her knowing. He had known what impact her presence would have on the Hokage. He had known what would happen to the Leaf Village once the Hokage was killed and most of the shinobi were slain. And all of this happened because she was at her sensei's side.

But, if she was so important, why did she feel so empty inside?

**OOO**

There was no funeral for the Hokage. Life just continued on. Shinobi were slain or imprisoned. Many sat in cells awaiting a future of experimentation.

This was the future that Anko had dreamed of, but for some reason she could not relish in her dreams coming true. She loved the power that they had gained, but at the same time, the power was not enough.

Anko clutched her shirt over her heart, closing her brown eyes. There had been a strange pain in her heart ever since she had seen the Third Hokage recognize her. She had thought she would be treated like a traitor, but he had looked at her with this unimaginable pain. Almost like she was his own child.

"What's wrong, my dear?" Orochimaru asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Anko opened her eyes slowly, looking into her sensei's eyes.

"Nothing, Orochimaru-sama," she said, smiling at him. He smiled back before walking past her.

"I will need your help with some of the experiments later," he called behind him. Anko only nodded. He already knew what her answer was.

Anko could never say no to her sensei.

However, sometimes Anko wondered what would have happened had she been able to say no.

* * *

**~AN~**

**As I mentioned earlier, I did not realize that this was the last chapter so I am sorry for saying last chapter that there were 2 left. Gomenasai. **

**Anyways, I would like to thank everyone who was reading, faving, and especially reviewing. Special shout outs to NinjaSheik and UnderTheHood for reading every chapter and reviewing. I always love hearing your kind words. And thank you to ****JigokuShoujosRevenge for reminding me that this was not a romantic story, but a more realistic story instead. I appreciate it. And lastly, thanks to those of you who reviewed at least once (MariiKo, the jesus of sub, corriandar and Guest). I really appreciate you taking the time to review.**

**Well, I guess that's it. Thanks for reading. I hope that you enjoyed my little way-less-than-perfect story. Hopefully writers block will not prevent me from writing another. Now, go read some Naruto manga!**


End file.
